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Is Wyclef Jean Good for Haiti’s Presidency?

Today, Wyclef Jean has formerly filed his paperwork to run for the Haitian Presidency in the November 28th, 2010 Haiti Presidential Election.

This could be a new beginning for Haiti. It is the first country in Latin America to gain independence in 1804; and although its independence was not fully recognized until 1825, looking back, Haiti has never really enjoyed peace, prosperity, and stability since its independence from France. It has been flooded by coups, civil wars, and natural disasters.

And France is partly or mostly to be blamed; since they left, they never looked back to help with anything. And now with Mr. Jean running and hoping to win the Presidency, this could be the change that Haiti desperately needs.

Mr. Jean has worked very hard over the years to help his country; even prior to the disastrous Earth quake, he has been an avid vocal for prosperity for all Haitians. And his organization, Yele Haiti, has raised more money for the Earthquake victims and rebuilding just as much as Red Cross and Bush-Clinton Haiti Fund.

If he wins, and wins he will because he’s very popular among young people and young people make up the majority of Haitian voters, it’s a new face, a new generation, and his celebrity status could put Haiti more on the international front, which could result in more affluent rebuilding society for all Haitians. I believe for Mr. Jean to run and wins the Haitian presidency is good for Haiti and all of Haitians.

Sean Penn who has only lived in Haiti for months and a few analysts are questioning the integrity and ultimate motive for Mr. Jean to run for Haiti’s Presidency. But, let us step back a little; Wyclef Jean was born in Haiti, yes, but he and his family moved to Brooklyn when he was 9 years old. Now, for someone who has left his birth country and still grows to love and support it after all those years, given the fact that he has returned to Haiti over and over, doing charity work, doing mentoring, and inspiring young people to do better regardless of their financial and upbringing background; then if Wyclef is not fit to be President of Haiti, then i don’t know who else could.

How many of us can actually say that after we have left our birth countries at young age or any age have gone back to reclaim our roots and do things to help better our birth home towns? I personally don’t like Whyclef’s music, I never listen to his music or the Fugees’ music except their first one hit song; but for years I have been following Wyclef with his offstage charity work and from that, he’s as a humanitarian, as the word itself could mean. I appreciate his efforts; just the fact that he has done and does what he has been doing for his birth country, that;s good enough.

His celebrity status will help put Haiti on an international spotlight from socioeconomic standpoint. But then again, I could be wrong about him. We can only wait and see what happens 2 years in his administration. I strongly believe that there’s no any better candidate for Haiti’s presidency right now other than Mr. Jean.

Mr. Jean cares about Haiti based on his many years of charity work. Plus he’s young and hip, and a new generation, and that’s good for Haiti. The old neopolitical ideology by the older generation is dead; we are in a new age now. With the new technology, and thus these slow-growing and stagnant, developing economies should embrace these new changes if their true aims are to help achieve and realize their rapid economic development visions.